Made my self a caving headlamp.

[ian1210]

Ebay (or a kitchen store, I suppose) will supply "silicone baking mat" in various sized sheets, usually blue or racy red. The stuff I found was a hair over 1mm thick. The really important detail is that it be smooth both sides -- some are textured on one or both sides. Works a treat for gaskets.

Thanks for the baking mat idea! I was wondering how I could make a gasket for the caving headlamp I'm building, now that problem has been solved.

Ian

 

[ian1210]

Having been making twin-beam units for caving for quite a while with arguably unintuitive interfaces* (due to certain other design choices), and then playing with different options in a unit which was less constrained, the best UI I've come up with so far is one where a 2-way (centre-off) switch uses one direction to cycle through power levels, and the other to cycle through beam blends from pure flood through to pure spot - that gives a lot of output combinations in a light which I can tell someone how to use in a couple of sentences.

Your switch layout sounds great! I've been looking all over the internet for a single driver that can independently control 2 LED's to no avail. Sounds like you've either designed and built one or found one somewhere else. That's awesome! Can you share either where you found this driver?

Or, if it's something you've made, is there any way I could purchase one? I'd like to use 2 XM-L2 Led's, so it would need to support 3A output minimum. Thank you so much for your reply! I'm new to building headlamps and LED's, but I have an electronics background and am frustrated with all the lights available to cavers right now.

Ian

 

[uk_caver]

ian,
It's a homemade driver.
Since the driver core uses AMC7135 chips for final power control, pretty much any number of chips can be paralleled for higher current. Due to using the linear drivers, it would need a ~3.6-4.5V input voltage, so if using lithiums, it would need a single cell or parallel cells, rather than a series arrangement.

I could go into more detail but I don't want to derail someone else's thread, and it doesn't seem like I can PM you.
Could you PM me and give me an email address for further communication?

 

[Matjazz]

I made a new build with double the power :)

Now I have to find some glue that stays clear.

 

[Matjazz]

It all started on a drawing board or better yet on a monitor

1

The plan seemed good but I was worried if I could really cram everything in the Hammond box

2

Drivers and spot leds are in place and flood leds wired. Checking flood, checking spot. So far so good.

3

Closed with a 6mm Makrolon

4

And the solution for batteries

5

It is appropriate tat we take a bath before we go out

6

So far I like it :)

7

I haven't mounted it on a helmet yet, because I'll make a sort of clip that will allow single hand removal/mounting of the lamp while
retaining tilting. I'll also add battery meter from hobbyking. The driver for flood is LD29 (intl-outdoor.com) that is actually current regulated (no PWM, 2,6A max measured with single XML). I used two flood leds for better efficiency and possibility to upgrade with more powerful driver. Spot leds are in series and driven by KD 7135 V2 (2,280A) linear driver. Spot starts flickering on max if it gets too hot and stops as soon as it cools (under tap water). The canister was hardest to find. I couldn't find right one until I found out about geo caching and their cache containers. It's a Mighty Mega (gxproxy.com) and it's a perfect fit.

 

[Changchung]

It all started on a drawing board or better yet on a monitor
1

The plan seemed good but I was worried if I could really cram everything in the Hammond box
2

Drivers and spot leds are in place and flood leds wired. Checking flood, checking spot. So far so good.
3

Closed with a 6mm Makrolon
4

And the solution for batteries
5

It is appropriate tat we take a bath before we go out
6

So far I like it :)
7

I haven't mounted it on a helmet yet, because I'll make a sort of clip that will allow single hand removal/mounting of the lamp while
retaining tilting. I'll also add battery meter from hobbyking. The driver for flood is LD29 (intl-outdoor.com) that is actually current regulated (no PWM, 2,6A max measured with single XML). I used two flood leds for better efficiency and possibility to upgrade with more powerful driver. Spot leds are in series and driven by KD 7135 V2 (2,280A) linear driver. Spot starts flickering on max if it gets too hot and stops as soon as it cools (under tap water). The canister was hardest to find. I couldn't find right one until I found out about geo caching and their cache containers. It's a Mighty Mega (gxproxy.com) and it's a perfect fit.

Just perfect...

 

[The_Driver]

Thats a very nice headlamp! ;)

I would use Sinkpad PCB-Starts made out of copper for the LEDs. They improve the heat transfer immensely make the light brighter. They can be ordered here.

 

[majoetetaa07]

Very good job Matjazz !!
To have a better transfer of heat, couldn't you put the spot driver vertically against the top of the box ?

@ The_Driver: you can also buy LEDs on copper PCB here.
Very good eat transfer. It is these LED I have used in my first caving headlamp.

 

[Matjazz]

Thank you all for comments :grin2:

I would use Sinkpad PCB-Starts made out of copper for the LEDs. They improve the heat transfer immensely make the light brighter. They can be ordered here.

I would too, but then I couldn't fit the Ledil optic.

To have a better transfer of heat, couldn't you put the spot driver vertically against the top of the box ?

My thoughts exactly. First plan was to put the battery monitor there, but I guess it'll have to switch places with spot driver to get the latter away from heat source. I'll do it when I get the battery monitor from hobby king.

Also there's been a new setback. Die cast aluminum 380 is susceptible for corrosion and it isn't suitable for standard anodizing. It'll have to be the pricier powder painted version of the box and the clipping system that I had in mind will probably get cancelled.